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AND OTHER STORIES 
FOR CHILDREN 


BY 

HILLIS GRANE 



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BOCK ISLAND 

AUGUSTANA BOOK CONOEBN 


Copyright, 1921, 

BY 

Augustana Book Concern. 




DEC 24 71 

©nU653218 


CONTENTS 


L J>awn 5 

II. King Osten, the Truth Sayer, and Sven 

the Herdboy 29 

III. The Miraculous Spectacles 61 

IV. Grandpa’s Lad 81 

V. Singing-Ole 101 

VI. At the Country Fair 121 


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FTER a night of a thousand years 
the dawn was breaking in the 
Northland. Impelled by mysterious 
inner promptings, the viking of the North 
had embarked in their frail dragon ships 
and set forth upon wide seas for strange 
and distant lands ; and when they returned 
laden with the rich spoils of the South- 
lands, they brought with them vivid im- 
pressions of strange sights and happen- 
ings. These wild sea rovers of the North 
had heard tell of the White Christ, and 
they had viewed with wonder and amaze- 
ment the temples of this new, strange god, 
temples far excelling in grandeur and 
magnificence the edifices reared for their 
own gods of the Northland. They won- 
dered if the White Christ was the God re- 
ferred to in their sacred traditions as the 



DAWN 


divinity whose name no one dare mention, 
and if he would continue to live and reign 
when the old gods had gone down to 
destruction in Kagnardk. 

Here and there the wonderful story of 
the God of the Christians gripped the heart 
of some fierce viking who promptly sub- 
mitted to further instruction and finally 
to Christian baptism. At a later period 
Christian teachers began to find their way 
into the Northland, thus heralding the 
coming of a new and brighter day. 

It was at about that time that King 
Olov Tryggveson of Norway was equip- 
ping his fleet of dragon ships to set sail 
for the land of the Wends in order to col- 
lect by force the marriage dowry due his 
wife, the queen. Great and elaborate were 
his preparations. The many and huge 
ships were manned by picked men : old and 
tried warriors, who had followed their 
king on many a viking expedition ; also 
young men eager for adventure, who had 
hastened to the king as soon as the rumor 
8 


DAWN 


of the expedition reached them. But King 
Olov had declared that no one could accom- 
pany him, who was over sixty or under 
twenty years of age. 

But one day Einar Tambaskalver, a 
lad of eighteen and an archer of note from 
the fields of the North, presented himself 
and asked to be taken along. The old war- 
riors tried to dismiss him unceremoniously 
by announcing to the young archer the 
king’s decree, but neither this nor the jests 
of the younger men could weaken Einar’s 
determination to accompany the expedi- 
tion. 

‘‘Your cheeks are too rosy and your 
eyes too blue”, they mocked. “You will 
be dangerous only to the Wendish women”. 

“Lay aside your bow, my lad,” cried an- 
other; “it’s too formidable a weapon for 
a beardless boy. The pretty maids of your 
native village will be pleased to see you re- 
turn to them.” 

So they gibed him and grew ever louder 
in their mockery, not noticing the ap- 
9 


DAWN 


proach of King Olov and the devout Bishop 
Sigfrid. 

King Olov was greatly disturbed. His 
otherwise so bright and smiling counte- 
nance was dark and gloomy, and his tall 
figure seemed bent as if under some great 
burden. 

‘‘You are sad and gloomy, King Olov,” 
declared the bishop. “Your unquiet 
thoughts shut out the sight of the heaven 
above you.” 

The king's silence remained unbroken. 

“Nor do you hear the consecrated bells 
calling to prayer,” continued the bishop 
mildly. “Tell me, my son, what voices are 
speaking to your heart and making it so 
heavy and sad.” 

“Father Sigfrid,” replied the king; 
heavy, indeed, are the thoughts of my 
heart, and heavy the king's crown that I 
bear; but of that a bishop can have no 
knowledge.” 

The good old bishop smiled. 

“A king,” he said, “bears his power up- 
10 


DAWN 


on his shoulders ; and if they are broad and 
strong, the burden is light. But a bishop 
bears the welfare of countless souls upon 
his heart, and well you know that that bur- 
den is too heavy for him to bear alone, for 
a single soul weighs more heavily than a 
whole world.” 

^‘What do you mean to tell me by words 
so obscure?” the king inquired. 

‘‘That I will explain when you have told 
me what troubles you,” the bishop replied. 

'*1 will unburden them all to you,” de- 
clared the king after a moment’s reflec- 
tion. ‘1 will speak to you as a son to his 
father. You know how I returned to my 
native land with my fleet. From days of 
early childhood I had roamed over many 
seas from land to land, homeless and al- 
most deserted. With open arms my people 
received me, Tryggve’s son, and made me 
their king. Never was sky so blue as then, 
and never beat heart so high with hope 
and joy as mine. I was a Christian, and 
my heart’s desire was to see my people re- 
11 


DAWN 


ceive Christian baptism. You know all 
this, for you accompanied me on my tours 
through my realms. You know that some 
received the gospel you preached with joy, 
while others had to be compelled to unwill- 
ing obedience to its teachings. Lifelong 
worshippers of Woden were reluctant to 
discontinue their sacrifices. But I com- 
pelled them to yield ; all were baptized and 
blessed with the sign of the holy cross. I 
would have no idolatry in my land. I 
swore by the God who has given me crown 
and kingdom that I would blot out all 
heathen abominations from this ancient 
land. 

But what has occurred? In a few days 
now I will set sail to collect the dower of 
my queen. Am I left undisturbed to carry 
out my plans? No! Messengers, one after 
the other, are arriving daily, who report 
that the Danes and the Swedes are arming 
themselves against me. But I fear neither 
my brother-in-law Swen nor King Olov; I 
fear no man. But now word comes that 
12 


DAWN 


the northern earls of my own kingdom are 
making common cause with my enemies. 
That is what has cast a gloom over my 
soul. Crown, kingdom, and life — men may 
take them all; but the light has been 
kindled throughout Norway, is that to be 
extinguished ; is darkness, then, to prevail 
over light?” 

When the king ceased speaking, the 
bishop said with great solemnity: ‘'My 
son, crown, kingdom, and life may indeed 
be taken from you, but the light which God 
kindled in your heart can never be ex- 
tinguished by man; and that is the same 
light which has begun to scatter the dark- 
ness in your land. The glory of that light 
will shine undimmed, nay, grow ever 
brighter and brighter.” 

“How do you know that. Bishop; how 
can you say that with such positive assur- 
ance? Do you know that even now sacri- 
fices are being made to Woden in many 
parts of my kingdom?” 

The king's words were impetuous and 
13 


DAWN 


full of anxiety; but the old bishop^s voice 
was calm and firm as he replied : 

‘‘A while back you asked what I meant 
by my obscure words, when I said that a 
bishop cannot alone bear the burden of 
the souls intrusted to him. Take heed, 
then, to what I say, my son. I know that 
heathen sacrifices are being made in your 
kingdom ; I knew it even before your mes- 
sengers arrived. And yet I have no fear. 
The vineyard is not of my planting, nor 
of yours ; it is God^s. It is Christ the Lord 
who upholds his Church, who cleanses and 
cares for it; we are only his humble in- 
struments. Therefore I have no fear 
though times are troublous.” 

In such manner the devout old bishop 
spoke words of cheer and comfort to his 
king, who again grew serene and hopeful. 
By this time they had reached the turbu- 
lent throng of warriors surrounding the 
youthful archer. 

“Who are you, and on what business 
have you come?” asked the king, eyeing 
14 


DAWN 


the splendid youth with evident pleasure. 

am Einar Tambaskalver, and I come 
from the northern fields to follow my king 
on his expedition,” replied the archer bow- 
ing respectfully before King Olov. 

''You are too young, my lad,” declared 
the king. "We are embarking on a danger- 
ous voyage.” 

"My father bade me bring this greeting 
to his king: 'I have no older son to send; 
but put this one to the test, and you will 
find that what he lacks in years he makes 
up for in skill and strength,’ ” said Einar, 
sending the king a look full of challenge. 

"Why is your father so eager to send 
me one of his sons?” inquired King Olov. 
"To my sorrow I have heard that my peo- 
ple of the north have made common cause 
with my enemies.” 

Then said Einar Tambaskalver: "These 
are the words of my father : 'Your king is 
embarking on a dangerous voyage. Take 
your bow, Einar my son, and guard well 
King Olov, for he it was who brought the 
15 


DAWN 


light to us. Never leave the side of your 
king when danger threatens, and your 
arrows shall never miss their aim’.” 

Then Bishop Sigfrid stepped forth and 
interceded for the youth : “Take the youth 
with you, 0 King, for God has sent him 
with the glad tidings that there are still 
men in the north loyal to God and loyal to 
you. ‘Never leave the side of your king, 
and your arrows shall never miss their 
aim’, so spoke the youth but now. And I 
say, never leave the side of your God, and 
He will ever grant you victory.” 

Upon these words the king yielded, and 
when the fleet sailed, Einar Tambaskalver 
was on board the king’s own dragon ship. 
Thus it came about that during the out- 
ward voyage a great friendship sprung up 
between King Olov and his young archer. 

H! * * 

Just off the Island of Svolder King Olov 
Skotkoung of Sweden, King Swen Double- 
beard of Denmark, and the rebellious Nor- 
16 


DAWN 


wegian earls had placed their fleets in am- 
bush ready to attack King Olov Tryggve- 
son on his return voyage from Wendland. 

When the sails of Olov Tryggveson's 
fleet were descried in the distance, the 
kings of Sweden and . Denmark accom- 
panied by the Norwegian earls landed on 
the island to reconnoiter the oncoming 
fleet before commencing the battle. 

Many stately ships they saw, and each 
in turn they thought must be The Long 
Serpent, the flagship of Olov Tryggveson, 
about the great size and splendid equip- 
ment of which ship tradition has had so 
much to relate. When at last they saw a 
great, magnificent ship come sailing up, 
ornamented with a huge, gilded dragon 
head in the prow, the kings and earls ex- 
claimed: ''Never was there seen in the 
North so large a dragon ship ! No wonder 
that a king who builds such ships is known 
to fame far and wide 

But the Danish king shouted : ''On lofty 
stern shall The Long Serpent bear me this 
17 


DAWN 


day ; for ere the sun sets I will stand at its 
helm.” 

As it turned out, however, this was not 
the flagship, but another called ‘‘The 
Little Serpent.” 

Shortly thereupon the watchers on the 
island became aware of a wondrous gleam 
as of burnished gold that lit up the sea far 
and wide; and presently they could see a 
gilded dragon head of immense propor- 
tions glittering in the bright rays of the 
sun. Then the huge vessel itself hove into 
sight, towering high above its fellows and 
fitted out with a magnificence far beyond 
the wildest dreams of men. This was, in- 
deed, The Long Serpent, the flagship of 
Olov Tryggveson. 

A silence fell upon the watchers on the 
island when this great royal ship came 
sailing up. Finally one of the earls ex- 
claimed: In very truth such ship alone 

is suited for so great a king as *01ov 
Tryggveson ; for well has it been said that 


18 


DAWN 


he excels all other kings even as The Long 
Serpent excels all other ships !” 

When Olov Tryggveson and his men 
discerned the hostile fleets, the king was 
advised to sheer off into the open sea. 

‘'No one can call you craven,” he was 
told, “if you now avoid battle with enemies 
so superior in the number of ships and 
men.” 

King Olov stood on the lofty stern of 
his flagship, a head taller than all other 
men. His gilded helmet and buckles 
gleamed in the sun, and his face glowed 
with battle ardor so he cried to his men : 
“Lower the sails ! No man of Olov Trygg- 
veson’s must think of flight this day ! May 
God rule over my life ; but no king worthy 
of the name flees from his enemies !” 

Then all the sails on Olov^s ship were 
lowered, and his other vessels flocked 
about The Long Serpent. Every man in 
Olov^s fleet looked up to his king and was 
filled with hope and courage when he saw 
the king’s face glow with the firm assur- 
19 


DAWN 


ance of victory. Was it not a battle for 
light ; and were they not contending 
against the enemies of the Cross ? Never 
would the forces of heathendom be victo- 
rious against the champions of light! 

With a blare of trumpets the hostile 
fleets drew near. Shields were beaten with 
flashing blades, bows were strung and 
drawn, and soon arrows were whizzing 
back and forth through the air. 

But when the warriors on the Danish 
and Swedish ships descried King Olov in 
shining armor standing tall and majestic 
on lofty stern, consternation filled their 
hearts. The serfs, who were propelling 
the ships, dropped their oars and trembled, 
and many a warrior's cheek grew pale 
with fear and awe. 

‘‘Back, men!" they shouted. “It is 
against Woden himself that you are fight- 
ing! See, there he stands on towering 
stern !" 

“Nay, it is Thor; it is the mighty god of 


20 


DAWN 


battle himself!’' others cried. '‘Woe unto 
us, if Thor is arrayed against us 1” 

But a profound silence had fallen on 
many others. They did not believe that it 
was either Woden or Thor. The glorious 
man with the golden locks, the gleaming 
helmet, and glowing countenance could be 
none other than Balder, the favorite of 
the gods, the god of light and peace. Who 
so rash as to direct hostile weapon against 
him! 

Eric, the chief among the Norwegian 
earls, noticed the growing panic among 
the men. 

“Forward, Swedes and Danes,” he cried. 
“Up and at them! Woden and Thor are 
on our side; let us attack and destroy the 
Christians! The man you fear is none 
other than King Olov, and him the gods 
have this day given into our hands.” 

Then the men recalled the untold treas- 
ures they would win if they could over- 
come Olov Tryggveson, and the glory that 
would be theirs if they could slay the 
mighty hero Olov. 


21 


DAWN 


The battle that ensued was long and 
fierce beyond compare. First the Danish 
fleet attacked but were quickly beaten off. 
Then the Swedish fleet made a desperate 
onslaught, but it also was forced to retire 
after sustaining bloody losses. Last of all 
the Norwegian earls launched their attack. 
By this time' Olov Tryggveson's warriors 
were on the point of exhaustion and their 
ranks were thinning perceptibly. Olov 
saw one ship after the other boarded and 
captured by the enemy, until at last only 
The Long Serpent and its complement of 
chosen men remained. Again and again 
Earl Eric and his men tried to surmount 
the lofty sides of the flagship but were 
just as often hurled back. The Long Ser- 
pent was not a ship to be easily taken. 

Midships on The Long Serpent stood 
Einar TambaskMver proving him'self a 
man indeed despite his youth. Arrow 
after arrow sped from his mighty bow, 
with unerring aim. Calm and uncon- 
cerned the young archer stood in the hail 
22 


DAWN 


of shafts and bolts as if he were merely- 
shooting at a mark in his native forest 
among the northern f jelds. True, he heard 
the crash of battle and saw the hostile on- 
set, but never for a moment did he doubt 
King Gloves victory, for well he knew that 
his king was fighting for light and truth. 
But suddenly a hostile bolt struck Einar^s 
bow, and the bowstring burst with a ring- 
ing sound so loud that it was heard all 
over the ship. 

Einar dropped the -bow, and as it fell 
from his hand he felt that something more 
than the bowstring had burst; something 
deep down in his heart had also been 
shattered. 

‘‘What was it that burst?” cried King 
Olov from his high position in the stern. 

“Norway, king, from thy hands!” re- 
plied Einar. 

“So loud and strong was not the sound 1” 
cried the king with a voice heard over the 
crash of battle. “God and not your bow 
rules over my kingdom. Here, take my 
bow, and do not let your courage fall 1” 

23 


DAWN 


So saying, the king threw his bow to 
Dinar's feet, who took it up and tested it. 

"‘Too weak, too weak is the bow of the 
king !" he cried, hurling it back to Olov. 

Thereupon Dinar grasped sword and 
buckler, and fought valiantly against the 
enemies thronging over the sides into the 
flagship. But now he fought not as be- 
fore. Then bright hope had steeled his 
arm ; now his heart was void and desolate, 
for now he knew that the hostile heathen 
hordes would conquer, and even as he 
cried “Norway, king, froni thy hands!" 
his mind's eye could see the kingdom slip- 
ping from King Olov's hands. The vain 
battle now being fought would be con- 
tinued in the distant homeland, Norway, 
with the same result that the champions 
of light would fall before the heathen 
hordes. To fight under the banner of the 
Cross now seemed to Dinar just as vain as 
to contend with earthly weapons against 
the mighty hosts of Muspellsheim and Nifl- 
heim themselves. 


24 


DAWN 


But Einar and the small remnant of the 
warriors pressed forward and formed a 
wall of shields around their king who still 
stood towering in the stern. A shaft 
struck Einar and he sank to the deck. But 
even as he fell he cast a last, lingering look 
upon his king, and what he saw then and 
there served to dissipate the gloom that 
had filled his soul. For there on the high 
stern still towered the king, countless 
arrows and spears flashing about his head, 
but never a one touching his sacred per- 
son; and to Einar, King Olov seemed to 
grow ever taller and more majestic. His 
helmet and buckler still gleamed in the 
sun, and his countenance was more radiant 
than before. The fallen youthful hero 
seemed to behold a flood of light radiating 
from his king, and when Einar directed 
his gaze upward his wondering eyes be- 
held an airy bridge of dazzling light span- 
ning the space between earth and heaven. 

Then Einar recalled the devout old bish- 
op’s words : ‘‘Never leave the side of your 
25 


DAWN 


God, and he will ever grant you victory.” 
Now Einar grasped the meaning of the 
light that shone about the king; as in a 
flash it was revealed to him that on this 
airy bridge of light uniting earth and 
heaven the champions of light would as- 
cend to the celestial realms of light on 
high. 

Einar TambaskMver closed his eyes 
from utter weariness. But even so he had 
an inner vision of the fjelds and fiords of 
his distant northern homeland. But 
clearer, brighter than all else was the 
heavenly radiance shining upon the scat- 
tered huts and hamlets of his native land, 
and growing ever brighter. Surely, be- 
fore this light all darkness must vanish as 
the birds of night before the rising sun. 
Why had he ever doubted that light was 
mightier than darkness, and that the 
champions of light would conquer even in 
the midst of defeat and death! 

4 : « 


26 


DAWN 


Tradition relates that when his ship was 
overrun by enemies, Olov Tryggveson 
cast himself into the sea and was never 
seen again. But there are other traditions 
that tell of his escape and flight upon a 
mysterious vessel that carried him to the 
Holy Land where he spent the rest of his 
days on earth. This report is supported 
by the words of an ancient song: 

^'By the Sepulcher most holy 
Sits the hero, sits King Olov, 
Praying ever for his people.” 

Of Einar Tambaskalver, however, tradi- 
tion has this to say that he recovered from 
his wounds, and that he lived for many 
years among his native northern fjelds, 
loved and respected by all. 


27 


II 

KING OSTEN, THE TRUTH 
SAYER, and 
SVEN THE HERDBOY 



ING OSTEN sat in his great hall, 
surrounded by all his doughty war- 
riors. The mead horn made its 
frequent rounds among the men while all 
listened to the minstrelsy of an aged bard. 
King Osten drank deep and was merry, 
and his men rivaled their king in quaffing 
the foaming mead until they, too, were 
merry. 

And all the while the minstrel plucked 
the strings of his harp and sang his songs. 
And the burden of his minstrelsy was the 
wondrous deeds of King Osten, his bloody 
battles and glorious victories, his viking 
expeditions to the far-off wonderlands of 
the South where glory and treasure were 
to be won by him whose heart was coura- 
geous and whost arm was strong. Where 
was sun so warm and field so green ; where 
were maids so fair and treasures so 
plentiful as in this distant lands? 



DAWN 


There was a time now long since past 
when King Osten and his men were far- 
famed vikings, renowned for mighty deeds 
of valor. Of all these deeds the minstrel 
sang as though they were deeds of yester- 
day; and the more he sang, the merrier 
grew the king, and the louder grew the 
clash of gleaming sword on burnished 
buckler as the warriors urged the minstrel 
on to renewed efforts. 

And so the bard continued to sing of 
the king and his valiant warriors. Mightier 
men at arms there never were, and braver 
men the world had never seen. So sang 
the bard, and as he sang he smiled a hid- 
den smile sardonic. For well he knew that 
the achievements of the king and his men 
were long since forgotten, and that their 
only claim to fame now was their drinking 
bouts prolonged for days and nights to- 
gether. Enemies might harass their bor- 
ders unhindered, and serfs and women 
tilled the fields as best they could. 

In a neighboring country there lived a 
32 


KING OSTEN 


mighty king whose highest desire it was 
to add King Osten's kingdom to his own ; 
and he it was who had sent the minstrel 
to spy out the land and with his minstrelsy 
to lull King Osten into a state of false se- 
curity. A king who only eats and drinks 
with his men and dreams of bygone glory 
would not be hard to conquer. So reasoned 
the neighboring king. 

One day while the minstrel was singing 
his most stirring songs, an old man with 
hair of silver-gray entered the great ban- 
quet hall. Silently he listened to the 
minstrelsy, but when he was bidden to 
drink of the foaming mead he thrust the 
horn away from him with such violence 
that it fell crashing to the floor. 

'‘Who are you?'^ demanded the king. 
"Ill do you repay our proffered hospital- 
ity.’’ 

Then the old man stepped up to the king 
and said : "Who I am it boots you little to 
learn. But if you ask what I am, you shall 
have your answer. You have there a man 
33 


DAWN 


who sings his songs to you. In me you 
see a man who would tell the truth to you. 
Will you listen to my words, 0 King?’’ 

“Strange words are these you speak,” 
said the king. “What words of truth have 
you to say to me? Speak freely.” 

Then the venerable old man began to 
speak, and the words he spoke caused the 
king to tremble and his warriors to grip 
their swords in anger. He described how 
their country’s enemies were crossing the 
borders on all sides and entrenching them- 
selves. Vividly he depicted the country’s 
decline, the fallow fields and empty barns. 
In the forests the wild beasts were multi- 
plying unchecked, for there was no one to 
hunt them down. In all the land there was 
not a man who dared to face the bear and 
do him battle. 

At these words fierce rage filled the 
hearts of the warriors. They thronged 
about the old man and threatened him with 
their weapons for venturing to speak such 
bold words. 


34 


KING OSTEN 


But the old man smiled at them and 
their anger. 

am no bear, ‘^he said;’’ I am an old 
defenseless man, and formerly it was 
deemed base and cowardly to turn hostile 
weapons against such as I. The forests, 
as I told you, are teeming with wild beasts 
because there are none who venture to at- 
tack them. Come now, let your courage 
belie my words! Sally forth and prove 
your manhood !” 

Then the men ceased to bluster and re- 
turned in silence to their places around the 
banquet board. 

King Osten was greatly disturbed and 
knew not what to do. He was in a daze, 
as one suddenly awakened from a deep 
sleep. Had he consulted his own inclina- 
tions, he would have drowned his cares in 
brimming goblets of mead, but this he 
dared not do in the presence of the mys- 
terious stranger. Turn where he would, 
a vivid vision stood before him of all that 
the stranger had described : the enemies 
35 


DAWN 


at the borders of his kingdom, and the 
wretched state of his impoverished coun- 
try. He realized that all this was his to 
mend, but he found in himself neither will 
nor strength to do so. And as for his men, 
they were as poor in strength and courage 
as himself. 

‘'What are we to do? You see the sad 
state in which we find ourselves,’’ the king 
exclaimed despairingly. 

Without a moment’s hesitation the old 
man replied : 

“A king who sleeps his life away is easy 
to surprise and overcome ; but a king who 
is wide awake is already armed to repel 
attack. Dream no longer over the mead 
horns and let not minstrelsy falsely lull 
your sense. Sally forth with your warriors 
and strike the enemy while there is yet 
time!” 

The king’s gaze rested challengingly up- 
on his men. Was there one among them 
whom he could trust to aid him in such an 
undertaking? 


36 


KING OSTEN 


The old man was quick to note his 
doubts. 

‘'Another word, King Osten,*' he said, 
“Know that your most dangerous enemy 
is not at the borders of your land, and the 
fiercest bear is not the one that still roams 
the forest unslain: they are to be found 
much nearer at hand.^^ 

King Osten gazed about him fearfully, 
and his men quaked in terror at these 
words. 

“The enemy, 0 King, you harbor in your 
own bosom. There is a troll within you, 
luring you on to destruction. That troll 
it is that holds the brimming bowl to your 
lips, that saps your courage and your 
strength, and that holds sway over all your 
kingdom and will plunge yourself and it 
to utter ruin. Up, 0 King, up and fight 
against the spirit of impotence within 
you; up and fight for the honor and wel- 
fare of your country; up and lead brave 
men to battle and not these drowsy fools! 
Up, King Osten, and rub the sleep from. 

37 


DAWN 


your eyes, and I will show you the broad 
lands that are yours!” 

So saying, the old man took the king by 
the hand and led him to the open door. 

‘‘Behold,” he said, “all this is yours! 
Proud forests teeming with stately pines 
centuries old; broad fields broken and 
tilled by a long line of ancestors ; lofty 
mountain and smiling valleys which your 
fathers defended with their very lives. All 
these cry out to you. Hear and heed the 
message that they bring !” 

King Osten permitted his gaze to roam 
over the broad expanse of hill and dale 
and forest; then his eyes sought the 
twinkling stars above, and in this moment 
he felt that as yet there was strength to 
do and courage to dare all in defense of his 
kingdom, and to banish from his bosom 
the demon harbored there. 

* * * 

King Osten was fully determined to 
overcome the monsters of indolence and 
apathy. Hence his first act was to pour 
38 


KING OSTEN 


out all the mead found in his kingdom. 
Then he banished from his court the de- 
ceitful minstrel and dismissed from his 
service the craven warriors. 

The minstrel betook himself to his own 
king and related to him all that occurred. 

"‘A new era seems to have dawned in the 
land of King Osten/’ he said ; ''and Twere 
better for you now to give up all hopes of 
gaining his kingdom.’^ 

But the king looked upon him with 
anger and exclaimed: "Who are you to 
venture such advice to your king? I will 
by no means give up my plans. And as 
for you, I now command you to return to 
King Osten to sing for him and spy on him 
again. When you have better news to tell, 
then only may you return to me.” 

The minstrel bowed low before his king, 
slung the harp over his back and took his 
departure. 

When he again entered King Osten's 
land, he observed with secret joy that no 
changes for the better had taken place. 

39 


DAWN 


Everywhere hostile forces were building 
forts and strongholds; bears and wolves 
in undiminished numbers were raiding the 
farmsteads; and, worst of all, a fearful 
dragon had made his lair in the depths of 
the forest. The people were in despair and 
their terror was driving them frantic. 

‘‘And what is the king doing to alleviate 
their suffering ?’' the minstrel asked as 
he journeyed through the country. 

“0, he does nothing but weep and lament 
and wring his hands at his own powerless- 
ness,’^ they replied. “And now he has shut 
himself up in his apartments and refuses 
to see anyone but his daughter.’^ 

When the minstrel arrived at the royal 
castle, he was well received by the king's 
men. 

“Welcome, minstrel !” they cried. “Sing 
to us while we drain our drinking horns. 
The good old days have come again." 

“And the king, where is he?" the min- 
strel asked. 

“Don't trouble yourself about the king," 
40 


KING OSTEN 


they cried, drinking a toast in honor of the 
minstrel. ‘‘He never shows himself now. 
We are ruling in his stead and you may be 
sure we are making a merry life of it !” 

Yes, this was easily apparent to the min- 
strel and he felt sure that before long his 
king would seize the country without 
striking a blow. 

“Meanwhile in his apartments far re- 
moved from the feasting warriors King 
Osten sat wringing his hands from sorrow 
and remorse. He saw the desperate state 
of affairs; he heard the weeping women 
and children, and the reproaches of his 
subjects. But the greatest anguish, the 
deepest reproaches were those of his own 
heart. 

“0, why did I spend my days in riot and 
revel T* he moaned. “I alone am the cause 
of all this wretchedness.” 

No one could soothe him now except his 
beautiful daughter, the Princess Ingeborg. 
The only joy of his life was to behold her 
fair countenance and hear her gentle 
words. 


41 


DAWN 


One day Princess Ingeborg rode out in- 
to the forest to amuse herself with her 
maids and pages. 

Thoughtlessly the merry company had 
penetrated far into the woods. The forest 
lured them, the ride was exhilarating, and 
all nature was beautiful. 

But suddenly to the terror of all, the 
fearful dragon appeared. When he caught 
sight of the princess, he dashed toward her 
with open jaws. She wheeled her steed 
about and spurred away deeper into the 
heart of the forest. 

When her companions had recovered 
somewhat from their fright, they hastened 
off in search of her, but found no trace of 
the princess. The fearful thought oc- 
curred to them that the dragon had de- 
voured her. 

Princess Ingeborg was lost beyond hope 
of discovery and rescue. And with her 
disappearance every vestige of joy seemed 
to vanish from the unhappy land. 

People no longer wept and uttered re- 
42 


KING OSTEN 


proaches, the warriors no longer drank 
and feasted; all were stricken with deep 
sorrow, all pitied the poor old king. 

King Osten was heartbroken over the 
calamity. His dearest wish now was that 
his hostile royal neighbor would burst in 
upon him so that he might die in open 
battle, but the hostile king delayed his at- 
tack, well knowing that soon no attack 
would be necessary. 

Then one day the silver-haired Truth 
Sayer again appeared at the royal castle. 

At first the king would not receive him, 
but when the old man announced that he 
had greetings from the princess, the king 
and all his court burst into the great hall, 
full of amazement and incredulity. 

‘The princess is not dead, 0 King,’’ the 
old man announced solemnly. “Hope still 
lives! The dragon had no power to slay 
her; she was too good and pure, and too 
much loved for that. The dragon pursued 
her through the length of the forest, but 
she escaped to a small stronghold at the 
43 


DAWN 


edge of the woods. But the dragon is ly- 
ing on guard at the gate and he must be 
killed before the princess can be rescued 
and restored to you.’’ 

''Let us set out at once and slay the 
dragon!” cried King Osten. "Come, my 
men, let us escort the princess home in 
triumph.” 

All were ready and eager to go, and soon 
a great following headed by the king de- 
parted from the royal castle, determined 
not to return before the dragon was de- 
stroyed and the princess liberated. 

But when the company entered the con- 
fines of the dark forest, their courage 
dwindled away, and one warrior after an- 
other turned about and slunk away home. 
The ranks were thinning rapidly, so that 
when the edge of the forest was reached 
and the stronghold could be seen in the 
distance, the king found himself deserted. 

Then the king also turned back. He felt 
himself too weak to contend unaided 
against the dragon. But his daughter 
44 


KING OSTEN 


must be liberated ! That thought quickened 
him to new determination and effort. 

When he arrived home, he sent out 
heralds in all directions and to the neigh- 
boring kingdoms, who should proclaim 
that the man who was able to overcome 
the dragon might wed the princess and in- 
herit the kingdom. Many princes and 
mighty warriors now came, but many 
turned back from fear before they had 
reached the stronghold, and others were 
devoured by the dragon. No sword forged 
by man seemed able to make any impres- 
sion upon the hideous monster. 

Now it happened that there was in the 
king's service a young herdboy whose 
name was Sven. There was no one in all 
the world that he loved so much as the 
princess. When she addressed an occa- 
sional word to him, his heart was in danger 
of bursting with happiness ; and when she 
smiled on him, his very soul was flooded 
with a wondrous radiance. She was al- 
ways in his thoughts as he watched his 
45 


DAWN 


flock, and he had many sweet communings 
with her in his heart, though she was far 
removed from his eyes. Even in his sleep 
he dreamed of the princess constantly. 

''I think much of you, Sven,” she would 
say to him in his dreams and your name 
is no longer Sven the herdboy, but Sir 
Sven, my knight.” 

Then it seemed to Sven that he was no 
longer clad in the gray homespun of a 
herdboy but in the brilliant costume of a 
knight, and that his shepherd’s staff was 
transformed into a flashing sword. 

'T am in very truth your knight, 0 
Princess!” he then declared; ''and I will 
guard and protect you with my life.” 

Wihen Sven the herdboy heard of the 
calamity that had befallen the princess, he 
desired to accompany the expedition that 
set out to rescue her. But he was only 
laughed at for his pains. 

"Do you keep watch over your flocks,” 
they told him. "A simpleton like you 
should not aspire to more than that.” 

46 


KING OSTEN . 


Who had a better right to attempt the 
rescue of the princess than he who was her 
knight and who loved her truly ? But alas, 
the knighthood was of his own making, 
and his love was the deep secret of his own 
poor heart ! 

One day he was sitting on the wide 
heath, weeping bitterly. He had heard the 
report that all hope of ever rescuing the 
princess was lost. The dragon was said 
to be a fiendish troll that could not be over- 
come by earthly weapons. 

While he was sitting thus in deep de- 
spair, an old man suddenly stood before 
him. It was the same Truth Sayer who 
twice before had visited the king, but this, 
Sven the herdboy did not know. 

''Why are you weeping, my boy?’' the 
old man asked. 

"I weep because there is no one to lib- 
erate the princess,” Sven replied. 

"Have you made the attempt?” inquired 
the old man. 

"No, all say that I am too much of a 
47 


DAWN 


simpleton for that/^ the herdboy answered. 

‘‘Why do you wish to rescue her?'' the 
old man persisted. 

“Because I love her more than all the 
world," Sven declared; “and because my 
heart is full of pity at her sad state. But 
all say that the princess cannot be rescued 
because the dragon guarding her is a fiend- 
ish troll." 

“My boy," said the old man after a 
moment's reflection, “do you know why all 
these rocks are lying strewn upon the 
ground?" 

To this Sven could give no answer. 

“Let me tell you," said the Truth Sayer. 
“These rocks are here in order that the 
people of this land may grow hardy and 
strong by removing them and tilling the 
soil. A wonderful latent power is slumber- 
ing in the minds and bodies of this people, 
and untold riches lie buried in their land ; 
but this power and these riches will never 
be theirs unless they strive and labor for 
them manfully. Nothing is won by sloth 
48 







-Jv ■ - .r>%. ^ '-"-v-/-'. , 


A* ' . t***. ' 






% icJ*i 


‘Oi®^ I- •^oTl^*^’ ’ • ar , • Al^ 




^r, . r 1 

■ 



a'*' 

. yi 

I**. • Z7^v ^ “ '• 

IS****, ‘ . ♦ .. 

■: ^rf*.->ii1'm^-.: ■ ‘y'i^ 1. v/.v* ; 






;i^ 


imiifi- 




She was always in his thoughts as he watched his 
flock. (Pages 45 and 46.) 


‘ » 
t 


KING OSTEN 


and indolence, nothing is achieved by good 
resolutions ^Yhich are not carried out. It 
must never be forgotten that difficulties 
come our way not in order that we may 
avoid them, but that we may grow strong 
and hardy by surmounting them 

Sven the herdboy did not at all grasp the 
import of the old man's words; neverthe- 
less he treasured them in his heart. 

'‘Men say," continued the Truth Sayer, 
“that the dragon is a wicked troll which 
no man can subdue. But I declare to you 
that the dragon can be slain by him whose 
heart is courageous. Will you venture the 
attempt Sir Sven?" 

“Yes, I would venture it," Sven de- 
clared; “but because all men think me 
such a simpleton, I am not permitted to 
make the attempt." 

“It is not a question of what you are but 
of what you dare!" exclaimed the Truth 
Sayer earnestly. “Make the venture, not 
to win glory or a kingdom, but because 
you love the princess and are willing to 
lay down your life for her." 

49 


DAWN 


‘'I will put you to the test/’continued 
the old man. '‘In yonder valley a wolf is 
skulking. Do you dare to attack him with 
your staff alone as weapon? Remember 
that difficulties come to us in order that 
we may overcome them.’’ 

Sven the herdboy grasped his staff and 
darted off to the valley. There a huge wolf 
with glowing eyes and wide open jaws 
rushed forth to meet him. 

"Flee, flee !” a voice cried from within. 
You are too weak to encounter so huge a 
wolf.” 

"Remember that you are Sir Sven, my 
knight!” he seemed to hear the princess 
say, and her voice was more urgent than 
the other. 

Thereupon the herdboy thrust his staff 
into the open jaws of the monster with 
such force that it fell to the ground and 
expired. 

"Well done!” cried the old man. "But 
there is another and more difficult task for 
you to perform. Among the tall pines 
50 


KING OSTEN 


yonder a monstrous bear lies sleeping. Do 
you dare to wake it and to fight with it?'' 

Without hesitating Sven again set forth. 
He waked the bear, but when the monster 
advanced against him with lifted paws 
and hideous growls, Sven trembled with 
fear. Again he heard the voices within 
him, but again the voice of the princess 
overcame his fears, and he felt that after 
his first victory his chances of a second 
victory were greatly enhanced. 

And what happened ? The powers with- 
in him, which had been quickened by his 
encounter with the wolf, were now in- 
creased and multiplied. The blows he 
struck with his staff were deathblows, and 
soon the mighty bear fell dead at his feet. 

‘'Now you are ready and prepared to 
encounter the dragon. Sir Sven!" ex- 
claimed the old man. “When you have 
slain him, cut his tongue out and return 
to me." 

Thereupon the herdboy left his flock and 
hastened through the forest to the strong- 
51 


DAWN 


hold where his beloved princess was im- 
prisoned. The forest teemed with wolves 
and bears and other wild beasts that tried 
to hinder his progress. And even mighty 
warriors and princes, who had not ven- 
tured to attack the dragon, tried to stop 
Sven with words of warning and also by 
using force. But now nothing could stay 
Sven the herdboy; now he felt imbued 
with power to overcome all obstacles. 

Presently he reached the edge of the 
forest. The mighty dragon with his huge 
wings and seven heads lay extended in the 
open place before the gates of the strong- 
hold. Tongues of fire shot out from his 
gaping jaws; and all about were scattered 
broken weapons and human fragments of 
those who had attempted to slay the 
monster. 

But aloft on the ramparts of the strong- 
hold stood the princess beckoning to him. 

Then a strange thing happened. He was 
no longer a herdboy in gray homespun; 
now he was a stately knight in shining 
52 


KING OSTEN 


white armor. The weapon in his hand was 
not a shepherd's staff but a keen-edged 
sword. Placing his hand over his heart, 
he made a deep obeisance to his beloved 
princess, then he sprang boldly forth to 
the encounter with the dragon. 

A terrific battle ensued. Tongues of 
fire shot from all the seven mouths of the 
dragon, enveloping Sven in a cloud of 
poisonous flame and- smoke. He could not 
see where his blow fell, but to his joy he 
noticed that they took effect, for the mon- 
ster writhed with pain and grew more 
violent in its attacks. When smoke and 
flame did not destroy the young knight, 
the dragon spouted streams of venom over 
him. But though the smarting pain was 
keenly felt, it only served to increase 
Sven's efforts to come to close quarters 
with his enemy in order that he might 
drive home a death blow. 

Then the dragon began to plead for his 
life. 

'‘Spare me, valiant knight, and I will 
53 


DAWN 


bestow upon you the riches of all the 
world!’’ 

Sir Sven, however, paid no heed to the 
dragon’s plea, but continued to hack off 
one head after another. 

Then the dragon transformed himself 
to a king in all his glory. 

Spare my life,” the king said,” and my 
kingdom with all its wealth shall be 
yours.” 

But Sir Sven remained deaf to his en- 
treaties and only redoubled his attacks. 

Then finally the king changed himself 
into a woman of surpassing charm and 
beauty. 

''Spare my life,” she said. I am more 
beautiful than the princess. I will become 
your bride if you spare my life.” 

But Sir Sven was not to be deceived. 

"A troll is a troll,” he thought, "in what- 
ever guise it manifests itself.” 

Then the troll resumed its original form 
as a dragon, and made a last desperate ef- 
fort to crush the knight. But Sven met 
54 


KING OSTEN 


the onslaught and hewed off the last re- 
maining head of the monster. 

The dragon lay dead on the ground. 

Then Sven perceived to his amazement 
that he again bore the dress and staff of a 
herdboy. He suddenly felt that he was un- 
worthy of the princess and the kingdom; 
these were destined for some princely 
knight who could claim them by right of 
birth. But remembering the old man's 
command, he cut out the tongue from the 
largest of the dragon heads and then took 
his departure. 

Great was the rejoicing in King Osten's 
kingdom when it was announced that the 
dragon was slain, and that the princess 
had returned. It was reported that a 
prince from a neighboring kingdom had 
performed the heroic deed, and that pre- 
parations were already being made in the 
royal castle for a grand wedding. 

One day the old Truth Sayer entered 
the great hall where King Osten, his 
daughter, and her betrothed were sitting 
55 


DAWN 


inspecting the huge dragon head com- 
memorating the signal victory of the 
princely lover. 

“0 King/' said the Truth Sayer, 'There 
hangs the dragon's head, but if you will 
examine, you will discover that there is 
no tongue within its mighty jaws. How 
can it be that it is missing?" 

The king promptly ordered an investi- 
gation to be made, and it soon became ap- 
parent that the old man had spoken the 
truth. 

"What had become of the dragon's 
tongue?" the king demanded, gazing with 
troubled eyes upon the prince. 

The prince could give no explanation. 
He had reached the stronghold of the im- 
prisoned princess just after the departure 
of Sven the herdboy, and he had grasped 
the opportunity of proclaiming himself 
the doer of the heroic deed. But now he 
sat there speechless with confusion. 

At last the Truth Sayer broke the silence 
saying: "0 King, only he who can pro- 
56 


KING OSTEN 


duce the dragon^s tongue has the right to 
be proclaimed the slayer of the monster/’ 

“And where shall I find that man?” 
asked the king querulously ; for he wished 
to give his daughter in marriage to a 
brave and noble prince. 

At that instant the door flew open and 
Sven the herdboy entered the hall. He 
stepped briskly up to the dragon head, 
opened its jaws and showed how that the 
tongue he carried in his hand fitted per- 
fectly into the cavity. 

The truth was clear to all, and all gazed 
with wondering eyes upon the herdboy. 

But most intent of all was the gaze of 
the princess. Long and earnestly her eyes 
rested on Sven, and little by little she rec- 
ognized her true knight, feature by 
feature. Yes, this was her hero, this the 
conqueror of the dragon! 

“This is my knight!” she cried joyfully, 
and hastened toward him with open arms. 

Then a strange thing happened. At the 
very moment of their meeting, Sven the 
57 


DAWN 


simple herdboy disappeared forever, and 
in his stead a tall and stately knight in 
shining armor stood forth. 

Great was now the rejoicing in the royal 
castle. The ignoble prince, who had false- 
ly claimed the victory, slunk away, never 
to be seen again ; but all the rest were con- 
tented and happy. The preparations for 
the marriage were soon made, and there- 
upon Sir Sven became king and Princess 
Ingeborg became his loving wife and 
queen. 

When the wedding celebrations were 
over, the new king began to rule with such 
wisdom and power that all his people soon 
perceived that their new king was heroic 
not only in fighting wolves and bears and 
dragons in order to win a princess and a 
crown. King Sven also proceeded to tear 
down the castles and strongholds which 
his enemies had erected within his borders, 
and when the neighboring king gave bat- 
tle he was signally defeated and routed 
by King Sven and his doughty warriors. 
58 


KING OSTEN 


From this time no further drinking 
bouts were held in the king's great hall, 
for all men were now engaged in building 
up the fallen fortunes of their country. He 
who would win the king's favor and esteem 
must labor incessantly for the same great 
end for which the king himself labored: 
the welfare and prosperity of their coun- 
try. 

* * * 

Thus runs the ancient legend about King 
Osten, the Truth Sayer, the princess, the 
dragon, and Sven the herdboy. Perhaps 
it has a lesson to teach even to the young 
people of our day. There is yet many a 
wild beast to slay, many a dragon to be 
destroyed, and many a princess to be won 
by him who has a heart to dare, a will to 
do, and an arm to perform the great tasks 
that confront him in life! 


59 





Ill 

THE MIRACULOUS 
SPECTACLES 








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OU have, of course, all heard and 
read of the good old days of long 
ago. You have read of how giants 
lived in huge mountain caves, how beauti- 
ful airy elves hovered in the moonlight, 
and how swarms of browmies were met 
with everywhere. 

In those good old days there lived an old 
knight whose name was Brynolf Long; 
and tall and strong he was as his native 
pine, and a great company of men followed 
his leadership. He had built his castle on 
a high mountain in the midst of the forest, 
and to this stronghold be brought treasure 
from the four corners of the world. But 
Sir ^Brynolf was to be greatly pitied, be- 
cause the more treasures he gathered, the 
more he wished to have. Therefore he 
was never satisfied, never at peace. 

63 




DAWN 


But in the same forest in which Bryn- 
olf's castle was built there also lived a 
good old fairy, ever so much older and 
wiser than the knight. So old was she 
that she had been godmother not only to 
Brynolf, but to his father, his grand- 
father and even his great-grandfather. 
She therefore knew the family very well 
indeed. 

In times past this fairy had often come 
riding in her golden chariot to visit her 
godchildren, and she had given them much 
good advice and counsel, for she had 
gathered a great store of wisdom during 
her long life. Former generations of the 
Brynolf family had always heeded her ad- 
vice, and they had prospered by it, win- 
ning much renown and great riches. But 
BrynolFs father had disregarded the ad- 
monitions of the fairy. Why should he 
trouble himself with the advice of an ob- 
stinate old woman? He knew more than 
she credited him with, for he had seen 
more of the world than she. To put a 
64 



Outside the cottage loindoiv the pines were soughing a low and 
pleasing harmony ; from the distant forest the birds were striking 
up their evening carols. (Page 108.) 





THE MIRACULOUS SPECTACLES 


climax to his folly, Brynolf s father had 
married a greedy, hard-hearted woman. 
From that time the fairy's visits ceased, 
and if she occasionally met her godson, she 
had not much to say to him, but left him to 
his own devices. And this was just what 
Brynolf's father desired. 

However, at Brynolf 's birth his mother 
expressed a desire that the good fairy 
should be summoned. 

‘‘She will, no doubt, give the boy a splen- 
did christening present, if we invite her," 
the mother declared. 

And so the fairy was invited, and actual- 
ly came riding in her golden chariot. But 
it was clear to be seen that she was not in 
good humor, and that she did not feel at 
home there, for she soon made ready to 
depart. 

‘1 will adhere to my custom and give 
you a christening present," she said as 
she was ready to go; ‘'and it is the most 
valuable present that I have ever given." 

Father and mother were delighted. 

65 


DAWN 


Surely, some extraordinary gift must now 
be coming to them! But their joy was 
short-lived. The fairy's gift was only an 
old pair of spectacles. They tried to look 
pleased — they dared not do otherwise — 
but it was difficult for them to conceal 
their disappointment. 

After that the fairy never appeared at 
the castle again. The man died, so did his 
wife, and Brynolf was left in possession of 
all their wealth. He knew very well that 
the old spectacles were the gift of a fairy, 
but he despised them as of no value. As 
years passed, his eyes grew dimmer and 
dimmer, but it never occurred to him to 
make use of the christening present. 

Sir Brynolf had two sons, Alarik and 
Canute. The former aided his father in 
accumulating greater riches, while the 
latter spent his time among the poor and 
lowly, cheering and helping them. He ap- 
peared to them as a ray of sunshine, or 
as a merry, purling stream, always sing- 
ing, always good and kind. 

66 


THE MIRACULOUS SPECTACLES 


Such behavior on the part of Canute 
pleased neither his father Brynolf nor his 
brother Alarik. So before the old knight 
died, he ordained that all the property in- 
cluding the great castle should fall to 
Alarik; for he 'would kno'w ho'W to keep 
and multiply that 'which Brynolf had ac- 
cumulated. But in order that Canute 
might not be left entirely 'without inheri- 
tance, the old spectacles 'were besto'wed on 
him. 

'‘They are very valuable, my son,” the 
dying knight declared. "The 'wise old 
fairy said that they 'were the most valu- 
able present she had ever given.” 

"There may come a time 'when I 'will 
need them,” said Canute expressing his 
gratitude for the gift. 

Hs * * 

After his father's death Alarik took 
possession of his inheritance, and though 
he no'w 'was master of so large a castle, 
there was no place or corner in it for 
67 


DAWN 


Canute. Alarik found it quite impossible 
to let him live on in the castle. 

‘‘Well, the world is large,” Canute de- 
clared cheerfully. “Within its wide 
domains there is room for us both, broth- 
er Alarik!” 

So he bade farewell to all the inmates of 
the castle, and great was their sorrow 
when he took his departure. All the serv- 
ants wept, as did also the retainers liv- 
ing about the castle, for all loved and ad- 
mired Canute. When he departed from 
the castle, all his worldly possessions were 
the spectacles, but these he determined to 
wear constantly. 

“They will at least improve my appear- 
ance,” he thought; “and, after all, that is 
something to be thankful for.” 

It was the spring of the year when 
Canute set out into the world. As soon as 
he had issued from the castle gates and 
had put on his spectacles, he began to 
understand that the best thing that could 
happen to a man was that he possessed 
68 


THE MIRACULOUS SPECTACLES 


nothing. Then there was nothing to 
guard, and none to envy him his posses- 
sions. How beautiful the world was ! 
Never before had he noticed this. Why, 
all the world was a paradise, flower- 
strewn, green-carpeted, and dotted with 
sparkling lakes! From all sides fragrance 
was wafted to his nostrils, and the 
warblings of birds to his ears. 

Canute also sang as he proceeded and 
he wondered if in all the world there was 
a man so happy as himself. What a treas- 
ure he possessed in the old spectacles*! Now 
he began fully to appreciate the priceless 
value of the fairy's gift. Before he had 
put them on, he had secretly thought that 
Alarik might have permitted him to re- 
main in the castle. But now his heart was 
full of pity for his brother who was 
doomed to prowl about the castle in order 
to guard his riches. He would never know 
the joy of wandering happy and care-free 
through the wide world so full of beauty 
and grandeur. 


69 


DAWN 


One day in his wanderings Canute ar- 
rived at a farmstead. The farmer came 
out to meet him with a countenance so sad 
that it went to the heart of Canute. 

''Ah, you are happy and care-free, 
Canute,'^ the farmer complained ; "but for 
me there is nothing but sorrow and misery 
in the world. All my cows and oxen are 
dead, and I can see no way out of my 
troubles.” 

Then Canute removed his spectacles and 
fitted them across the farmer's nose. 

"Take a good look, and tell me what you 
see,” said Canute. 

The farmer did as requested, and as he 
looked his face brightened, and finally he 
exclaimed : 

"Thank you, Canute, for your kind help ! 
Now I see there, indeed, are ways out of 
my troubles. For we can work, both 
mother and I and the children. And so 
long as we can work there is no need of 
complaining.” 

"That's the way to talk!” Canute ex- 
70 


THE MIRACULOUS SPECTACLES 


claimed. ‘‘ThaPs the way a man talks 
when confronted by difficulties.^^ 

A little further along on his wanderings 
he met a mother who shed bitter tears 
and was inconsolable because of the death 
of her little child. At sight of her grief 
tears even came into Canute's eyes, and 
sympathy for her filled his heart. But sud- 
denly he remembered his spectacles. In- 
stantly he took them off and fitted them 
upon the nose of the grief-stricken mother. 

“Take a good look, and tell me what you 
see," he said. 

The mother looked and looked far up in- 
to the distant heavens and beheld her little 
darling smiling happily and playing with 
a great host of beautiful, happy children 
in a flowery meadow, the like of which the 
mother had never seen before. Shining 
white angels were moving about among 
the children, and the more the mother 
looked, the more beautiful all this seemed 
to her. 

Then she quickly removed the spectacles 
71 


DAWN 


and cried: ‘'How could you have the 
heart to show me all this happiness, when 
it is so far beyond my reach? Now my 
life will be sadder and more wretched than 
before.” 

Saying thus, she again burst into a 
flood of tears. 

But Canute calmly wiped the spectacles 
and replaced them on the woman. 

“Take another look, and tell me what 
you see,” he said. 

Then the mother beheld the world in 
which she lived, but she saw it in a new 
strange light. She saw herself moving 
through the world, and wherever she 
went, a bright radiance followed her. 

“Where does the light come from?” she 
wondered. But even as she asked, she 
knew that it was a reflection of the ra- 
diance in that higher world where her 
darling child now lived. 

Her heart now thrilled with joy, and 
she felt that she would never weep again 
if only her little child could be returned to 
72 


THE MIRACULOUS SPECTACLES 


her. But when she looked again, she saw 
that her darling came to her, and would 
continue to come to her in many forms as 
long as she lived. All the poor little chil- 
dren in the world assumed the form and 
appearance of the one she had loved and 
lost. 

Then the mother removed the spectacles 
and said to Canute: ‘'Thank you for the 
use of the spectacles! Now my heart is 
light again; now sorrow has fled, and it 
will be easy for me to live my life.” 

Thereupon she took her departure, 
happy at the thought that now she could 
be a mother to all the poor little children 
within her reach. 

Canute continued on his way, and 
wherever he came upon sorrowing people, 
he let them look through his miraculous 
spectacles. And it never happened that 
they failed to find a way out of their 
troubles. The fame of Canute and his 
spectacles spread all over the land and at 
last reached the ears of his brother Alarik. 

73 


DAWN 


.'‘Isn’t that just what I supposed and 
feared !” Alarik thought to himself. “After 
all, Canute was to receive the best part of 
the inheritance. Now I suppose that he 
will become richer than I.” 

And so Canute really was : richer, not in 
money and treasures, but in what was 
worth much more, namely perfect content- 
ment and happiness. 

At last Canute arrived at the great city 
in which the king lived. Grief and mourn- 
ing filled the whole city; for the young 
prince had recently fallen in battle, the 
good old king was sick with grief, and 
there was no one who could cure him. 
When Canute heard this, he begged to be 
allowed to see the king, but it was many 
days before his earnest request was 
granted. 

Canute found the king in a trance-like 
sleep from which as yet no one had been 
able to rouse him. Without delay Canute 
placed his spectacles before the eyes of 
the king, who instantly awoke and beheld 
74 


THE MIRACULOUS SPECTACLES 


his son in that same higher world where 
the sorrowing mother had seen her child. 
There in that wonder land the prince now 
lived with other bright and shining youths, 
and the king saw that his son had now at- 
tained to that high and noble ambition 
which had been the mainspring of his life. 

Then the king removed the spectacles 
and wept. 

^‘Why did you show me all this?’' he 
cried. 'Tt has only left me more sad and 
lonely than before.” 

But Canute calmly proceeded to wipe 
his spectacles and to replace them upon the 
king. Then a strange thing happened. As 
the king let his gaze rest upon Canute, his 
sad countenance lit up with joy and glad- 
ness. 

‘‘Why, here you are, my son, returned 
to me!” he cried, lovingly folding Canute 
in his arms.” An evil dream has been op- 
pressing me. I dreamt that you were dead 
and gone.” 

Vainly Canute tried to explain that he 
75 


DAWN 


was not the king^s son. He explained that 
his father was the old knight, Sir Brynolf, 
now long since dead. 

But the king would not listen to his 
words. 

'‘Well I know that you are my son,’’ the 
king declared,” for I recognize your voice. 
As you speak, no one but my son could 
speak.” 

Thereupon the old king summoned all 
his courtiers and nobles to the castle. When 
these beheld their king well and strong 
again, it rejoiced their hearts; for they 
had sorrowed much over the sickness and 
grief of their royal master. 

“Send heralds,” the king commanded, 
“throughout the length and breadth of my 
land to proclaim to those who grieve over 
the death of my son, that the prince is 
alive and has returned to me. Stronger 
and nobler than when he went away, he 
has now come back, and a new and 
brighter era is dawning over our land.” 

The courtiers and nobles of the realm 
76 


THE MIRACULOUS SPECTACLES 


saw very well that it was not the dead 
prince who had returned ; they knew that 
it was Canute, the son of Sir Brynolf. But 
they also saw that the young man was of 
princely bearing, tall, stately, strong, and 
noble; and therefore they raised no ob- 
jections but carried out the orders of the 
king. 

Thus it came about that Canute was 
hailed as prince and as heir to the throne 
when the old king died. 

* * * 

Before the coming of Canute, the king^s 
physician had vainly tried to restore his 
master to health and strength. Therefore 
he was not little amazed at the marvelous 
recovery of the king. 

''Dare I inquire of your Majesty what 
medicine was used T* he asked one day. 

"No medicine whatever, my old friend!’’ 
replied the king. "Canute’s spectacles alone 
have worked this miracle. You see, my 
friend, there are difficulties connected 
with the task of being king. The crown 
77 


DAWN 


grows heavy, especially when one becomes 
old and tired. Then, when my son died, I 
sank into a state of hopelessness and de- 
spair. From this state Canute’s spectacles 
alone were able to rouse me. At first I 
believed that the prince, my son really had 
returned to me. Now I know that he is in- 
deed a prince, though his cradle never 
rocked in a royal palace. And king he 
shall become in the kingdom which daily 
looms brighter and fairer before my eyes. 
Ah, my old friend, it is a great thing to sit 
here old and gray and yet see the blossom 
of a new, bright hope unfolding in my 
heart. It is ever so that the old must 
yield and fall by the way, while the young 
sprout and shoot forth with hopeful 
strength and vigor.” 

But the physician sought Canute and in- 
quired if he would sell his spectacles. 

'Tt would, perhaps, be a good thing for 
me to own them,” he declared. ‘T have so 
many patients who forget what they ac- 
tually possess, and only yearn for the un- 
attainable.” 


78 


THE MIRACULOUS SPECTACLES 


But Canute would not part with his 
spectacles at any price. 

'T need them myself/' he declared. '‘But 
go and find the fairy Contentment. If the 
good old fairy is still living, she is, no 
doubt, busy distributing her splendid 
spectacles among the children of men." 

“If her name is Contenment," replied the 
physician sadly, “I fear that she is dead. 
That virtue, at least, is rapidly dying out. 
Discontent, ingratitude, and sorrow are 
more often met with these days." 

Canute carefully described the way to 
the great forest where the good old fairy 
lived ; but she was either dead, or else the 
physician could not find the way to her 
domicile. Instead he reached the castle 
where Alarik dwelt. 

When the physician related to Alarik 
what a great man Canute had become, and 
that he was the king's trusted adviser and 
the whole country's favorite, Alarik's 
whole soul was so filled with envy that he 
died of apoplexy. 


79 


DAWN 


But Canute lived a long and happy life ; 
and when he died, he was universally and 
sincerely mourned by a grateful people. 


80 


IV 


GRANDPA’S LAD 











|E did not look a bit dangerous, old 
Colonel Stark, as he lay stretched 
on the sofa in the great hall of the 
manor house. And yet he had been an of- 
ficer before whom both subalterns and 
privates had trembled. The sight of him 
even at a distance had caused privates to 
straighten up, and young captains and 
lieutenants to moderate their tones and 
speak softly. 

Strict and exacting he had been in his 
requirements both of his officers and men, 
but nevertheless he had been loved and 
admired by all. A more efficient colonel 
the Swedish army had not had, nor could 
a juster and truer man be found any- 
where. 

But now Colonel Stark was old and had 
been retired with a pension. His hair was 
perfectly white, as was also his fierce look- 
ing military mustache. But he was strong 
83 



DAWN 


and active yet, and a good playmate as 
well — so, at least thought his little grand- 
son. Yngve. They would romp about in 
noisy sport for hours at a time ; and when 
they grew tired, the colonel would take the 
lad on his knee and tell him about all the 
wonderful things to be found in the world. 

And Yngve listened, wide-eyed with in- 
terest. The lad had not as yet seen much 
of the world, but he loved to hear tell of 
the many strange lands and peoples be- 
yond the blue mountains. 

Grandpa would tell him about America, 
the land of promise ; he spoke of Italy and 
Rome, of England with its huge factories, 
and of Russia, the menacing neighbor on 
the East. But most often he spoke of that 
country which is called the native land and 
of the heritage handed down by the 
fathers. The old colonel's voice grew 
earnest and his eyes sparkled when he 
described the old heroic days when great 
men and noble women had stood as a bul- 
wark for the safety of Sweden in its hour 
84 


GRANDPA’S LAD 


of peril. Over and over he named with 
pride the great names of Engelbrekt, 
Gustavus Vasa and his noble grandson 
Gustavus Adolphus, also King Charles and 
his brave ‘^Carolines”. And as he talked, 
a fire was kindled in the soul and eyes of 
Yngve, whose heart throbbed responsive 
to the call of love of country. 

❖ * ❖ 

“Grandpa, Grandpa, where are you?” 

It was the voice of Yngve out in the hall- 
way that aroused the old colonel who had 
been taking his afternoon nap. 

“Come here, my lad!” the colonel said, 
noticing that his grandson faltered on the 
threshold. 

Instantly Yngve stormed into the room 
and to the colonel’s side. His light, curly 
hair was disarranged, his round cheeks 
were burning hot, and his eyes were full 
of tears. 

“Grandpa, dear Grandpa, is it true that 
the Russians are coming to take possession 
85 


DAWN 


of Sweden?'' the little lad of seven sum- 
mers asked with voice that trembled. 

The old colonel straightened up sharply 
and his face grew dark and stern. 

''Who has been telling you such things, 
Yngve?" asked the colonel lifting the lad 
to his knees. 

"0, I heard the superintendent say it to 
the overseer at Berga. He said that the 
Russians would soon take Sweden too. It 
would be a small matter for them to gobble 
us up. Tell me, Grandpa, is it true?" 

"Why would that be so very bad?" the 
colonel asked. 

"0, how can you ask such a question. 
Grandpa? If the Russians take our land, 
we will have no country of our own to love 
and serve! But come. Grandpa, tell me 
that it can't be true 1" 

The little lad fixed his big blue eyes up- 
on the colonel intently. 

"I don't know, my lad ; and neither does 
the superintendent," the old man replied 
soberly. ^ 


86 


GRANDPA’S LAD 


Yngve’s eyes clouded — he had expected 
a different answer. Ever since he could 
remember, the lad had eagerly imbibed 
the heroic tales from the glorious annals 
of Sweden; and now he firmly believed 
that the same courage, the same faith in 
victory which had inspired Sweden’s 
heroic men of old, still lived to guard and 
ward his beloved country. 

Suddenly the lad slid from his grand- 
father’s knee and placed himself with 
flashing eyes and clenched fists, erect and 
with military bearing before the colonel. 

^‘Grandpa, we will never let them take 
Sweden !” he cried. “You know that I can 
fence and shoot quite well already. We 
will fight. Grandpa, fight bravely!” 

The eyes of the old colonel grew moist. 
The lad’s patriotism touched his heart, 
and he lifted Yngve into his arms and 
said: 

“God bless you, my brave little warrior ! 
If all the youth of the land had your love 
and faith and courage, Russia could never 
87 


DAWN 


take our country, nor even venture to at- 
tack it” 

'‘Will you promise, Grandpa, to teach 
me to fence and shoot even better than 
now?^' Yngve asked eagerly. 

“Yes, my lad, that I will. But then you 
must also promise me one thing. Promise 
to remain just as patriotic in days to come. 
You are eager to defend your country 
against a foreign enemy; be just as eager 
to defend it against internal foes. Re- 
member your promise whenever you are 
tempted to do a low or dishonorable act. 
You are a traitor to our flag if your every 
act is not perfectly honorable and upright. 
Be a patriot not only in the large and im- 
portant affairs of life when the eyes of 
the world are upon you, but also in lesser 
things, remembering that God, who has 
given you home and country, sees you al- 
ways and demands your love and loyalty 
in all things. Lad, will you promise me 
thisr 

‘i promise. Grandpa,” said Yngve sol- 
emnly raising his hand. 

88 


GRANDPA’S LAD 


Two boys were playing boisterously in 
the park surrounding the manor house. 
The one was Yngve and the other Martin, 
a tall, heavy-set boy of a rather harsh and 
defiant aspect. Yngve had met him at 
the lake and promptly invited him into the 
park. As the invitation had been accom- 
panied by the proffer of several apples, 
Martin had graciously accepted both the 
invitation and the apples. 

Yngve was having the time of his life. 
Martin, to be sure, was rather sullen and 
given to quarreling, but Yngve disre- 
garded this, and found keen delight in 
watching the display of Martin’s strength 
and agility. 

After a while they threw themselves 
upon the grass to rest. Martin had grown 
tired of his companion, and was seeking 
an opportunity to quarrel with him. 

‘‘Why do you wear that red braid about 
your cap?’' asked Yngve innocently. 

“That’s because I am a socialist,” Mar- 
tin replied. “We socialists love red.” 

89 


DAWN 


"‘I like the blue and gold of our flag 
the best/’ Yngve declared. “But what 
does it mean to be a socialist?” 

“Don’t you know that?” Martin asked 
spitefully. “Socialists are those poor fel- 
lows from whom the king and the state 
and other big bugs steal all their money. 
We slave for them in the sweat of our 
brow for a bare living. But now, I tell 
you, we are tired of all this. Some day we 
will have our revenge and then” 

Martin had spoken rapidly and without 
stopping, as if he had been reciting a 
lesson. 

Yngve had listened to it all in silent 
amazement ; but finally he interrupted 
and cried with indignation : “Do you dare 
to say that our king is a thief!” 

“Yes, just that!” Martin maintained. 

The two lads had risen. Yngve stood 
before his tall adversary with burning 
eyes just as he stood some days before 
when speaking with his grandfather about 
the Russians. 


90 


GRANDPA^S LAD 


'‘Liar he cried ; "you are a liar 

Crack, crack, went Martin’s fist into the 
face of Yngve. All the hate against the 
so-called upper classes, which Martin had 
imbibed at socialistic meetings and among 
companions in the factory, now surged up 
and found expression in these blows. He 
would have struck again, so great was his 
fury, but his hand fell to his side when 
he saw to his horror that blood was spurt- 
ing from Yngve’s eye and dyeing red the 
white collar of his sailor jacket. 

At that moment the tall figure of the 
colonel appeared upon the scene. Without 
deigning to notice Martin, he picked up 
his bleeding darling and carried him into 
the house. 

Meanwhile Martin made good his escape 
by slinking from the park. 

After his wounds had been washed and 
bandaged, Yngve, at his grandfather’s re- 
quest, explained the reason for Martin’s 
violent attack on him. 

"Are you displeased with me. Grand- 
pa?” he asked as he finished his tale. 

91 


DAWN 


“No, my lad, you acted perfectly right! 
Our noble king is by no means a thief. It 
was your duty to defend him.’' 

Yngve’s father was manager of the 
large steelworks in which Martin Holm’s 
father worked at a steel lathe. This man 
was a dull and lazy fellow who had often 
been reported to the manager for care- 
lessness in his work, and had been threat- 
ened with dismissal. 

When the manager saw how badly his 
son had been injured, he determined to 
carry out his intentions of dismissing the 
father of Martin. 

But the man begged and pleaded to be 
allowed to remain, saying that he had 
many children to support, that he was too 
poor to move, and that it would not be easy 
for him to get another job. The manager 
finally yielded to his pleadings and kept 
the man. He thought perhaps Martin’s 
father would be grateful and try to do 
better work. But in this he was mistaken. 
For hate was the ruling principle of 
92 


GRANDPA^S LAD 


Holm's life — hate especially toward the 
rich whom he considered the cause of his 
own poverty. 

He had nursed his hatred for many 
years, and it now began to manifest itself 
in both words and actions at the steel 
works. Influenced by him other men be- 
gan to grow fractious, and conditions at 
the factory became daily more unsatisfac- 
tory. 

Meanwhile Yngve had interceded for 
Martin, so that he also escaped the punish- 
ment he had so richly earned. Yngve 
hoped thereby to win a good companion 
and playmate. But he, too, was mis- 
taken. Hate toward Yngve was the only 
feeling that animated Martin, and to this 
hatred he could now only give vent by 
bombarding Yngve with snowballs from 
some safe hiding place. 

Yngve never knew whence the snow- 
balls came, but he easily suspected who 
threw them, and he clenched his little fists 
in anger. 


93 


DAWN 


‘"Just you wait, Martin; some day I'll 
pay you back with interest!" he thought 
to himself as his little warrior heart 
throbbed with the lust for battle. 

❖ * * 

It was the forenoon of Christmas eve. 
Colonel Stark and his little grandson were 
alone in the great hall. The lad was sitting 
on grandpa's knee and listening intently 
to the stories his grandfather was telling. 

But today the colonel was not telling of 
Engelbrekt or Gustavus Vasa. Today he 
spoke of Him who in the fulness of time 
was sent by God to bring peace on earth 
and good will to men. He called Him the 
Prince of Peace who had come to establish 
the kingdom of God on earth and had 
opened its portals wide for all poor home- 
less and friendless mortals. It was not 
with sword in hand that He established 
His kingdom, neither had His followers in 
all times with sword attempted to extend 
His kingdom, which now embraced all the 
world. No, love was the weapon with 
94 


GEANDPA^S LAD 


which they fought, and love would ulti- 
mately conquer the world. 

Wide-eyed with wonder, Yngve listened 
to the tale. He had heard of Caesar and 
Alexander, who with mighty armies and 
consummate military skill had conquered 
the world. How, then, could one man, 
without armies and without weapons 
establish a world kingdom? He had, it is 
true, often heard tell of Jesus of Nazareth, 
he had heard Him called the friend of little 
children; but never before had he heard 
that this friend of children was also a 
mighty king who had established a great 
kingdom on earth. 

“Do you really believe. Grandpa, that 
the Prince of Peace will be able to conquer 
the whole world Yngve whispered when 
his grandfather lapsed into silence. 

“Yes, I surely do!’^ declared Colonel 
Stark with a happy look. “I believe that 
the time is coming when wars shall cease 
and all the world yield willing obedience 
to the Prince of Peace. For love is the 
95 


DAWN 


greatest power in the world and conquers 
SiW* 

“When will that time come, Grandpa?” 
asked Yngve. 

“That I cannot tell you, my lad. No one 
can tell you that. But it is God’s wish 
that we should all yearn for that time, 
and Jesus has taught us to pray, ‘Thy 
kingdom come!’ Never forget to pray 
that prayer, my lad ; and do you also arm 
yourself with love to fight under the ban- 
ner of the Prince of Peace! And during 
this Christmas tide you can also proclaim 
the wonderful message that the Prince of 
Peace has come to us with happiness and 
salvation.” 

Thus grandfather spoke to grandson, 
and his words fell in good ground. Yngve, 
who the summer before had been eager to 
learn to fence and shoot in order to give 
battle to his country’s foes, now deter- 
mined to test what love could do as a 
weapon in this warfare. 

How strangely responsive and tender 
96 


GRANDPA^S LAD 


the heart grows when the Christmas lights 
are burning! Holy Night! How it sub- 
dues our stubborn natures and fills our 
hearts with love and kindness! Conscious- 
ly all seek to honor the high Guest who 
comes to greet us then. 

Mr. Holm the steel worker used to think 
dark and evil thoughts and harboi; hostile 
plans toward his fellow men; but now as 
he sat before the flaming Yule log in his 
home, he found it quite impossible to mus- 
ter up his old feelings of hate and enmity. 

With a strange feeling of sadness he 
now recalled days of long ago. His hard 
heart grew tender as he thought of his 
own childhood, of father and mother, of 
the many warm bright days that had been 
his, before the frosts of life had chilled 
and killed the nobler emotions of his 
nature. 

Then the door suddenly flew open, and 
in stepped the last person he would have 
expected to see — Yngve, the manager's 
son. There he stood in his white winter 
97 


DAWN 


coat and cap, from under which his light, 
curly hair formed a bright cloud about his 
face — for all the world the very image of 
a Christmas angel! 

*This is for Martin,’^ the lad said shyly. 
“I thought that perhaps he would like to 
read these stories.” 

Martin was not in, but Mr. Holm took 
the package and opened it. 

‘‘Does your father know of this?” the 
man asked when he noticed that the pack- 
age contained a set of “The Surgeon's 
Stories” beautifully bound. 

“No one knows of it,” replied Yngve 
blushing. “But grandpa gave me the books 
and told me that I could dispose of them 
as I wished.” 

“Why, then, should Martin have them? 
I understand that you were not the best 
of friends.” 

Yngve's big blue eyes met Mr. Holm's 
gaze confidingly as he replied with a child's 
solemnity : 

“Christ, the Prince of Peace is born this 
day! I wanted Martin to know it.” 

98 


GRANDPA’S LAD 


Holm, the labor agitator, wondered 
within himself that he did not throw the 
package on the blazing logs. What was it 
but a hateful gift of charity from the rich 
to the poor. But he didn’t throw the pack- 
age into the fire, instead he made an 
awkward attempt to stroke Yngve’s curly 
head, as the lad made his best bow before 
leaving the house. 

Little did the man realize that this 
awkward caress had set ajar the door to 
his heart so that the Prince of Peace might 
enter. Nor did the colonel realize that the 
Christmas story he had told had awakened 
in Yngve a zeal for a higher and a nobler 
warfare than that which had formerly 
engaged his interest. 

After that Christmas Yngve became a 
good friend to Martin and an even better 
friend to his father, Mr. Holm. Somehow 
this friendship even brought _ about a 
better state of affairs at the factory. 
Yngve’s love was forged into a link uniting 
employer and employee, and the old griev- 
99 


DAWN 


ances were settled amicably to the full 
satisfaction of both parties. 

When Yngve grew up, he did not enter 
upon a military career, but a warrior he 
did nevertheless become. He fights now 
not with shot and shell for an earthly 
kingdom, but with spiritual weapons for 
the kingdom of God. And just as he 
formerly believed that Russia would never 
be able to take Sweden, so he now firmly 
believes that the day will dawn when the 
crash of war shall be forever stilled, when 
love shall conquer, peace reign, and God 
be all in all. 


100 


V 

SINGING-OLE 




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LE was a head taller than any 
other of the new pupils who that 
day entered upon the thorny path 
of learning at the village school. But 
though he had no one to help him make his 
start in school life, he was not a bit afraid. 
Bravely he told the teacher his name, and 
where he lived, and what his mother's 
name was. When assigned to his seat, he 
looked so contented and happy that the 
teacher could not refrain from remarking : 
'‘You seem to think it great fun to begin 
school. Ole!" 

At this Ole blushed violently, for all the 
other children were looking at him; but 
he had his answer ready nevertheless. 

"Yes it is fun, great fun!" he declared, 
gazing up at his teacher with his spar- 
kling, confiding blue eyes. 

"I'm glad of that," said the teacher. 
"But tell me. Ole, did you learn anything 
before you came to school?" 

103 




DAWN 


"‘I know my a, b, c's both forward and 
backward/’ Ole asserted proudly, as if he 
had already made long strides along the 
pathway of knowledge; ‘‘And then I can 
sing,” he added. 

“Very well, let us hear you sing,” said 
the teacher, amused and interested by the 
lad’s brave words and confident bearing. 

Ole was not a bit afraid to sing. Tall 
and erect he rose from his seat and struck 
up the well-known song: 

“Where in mountain, vale or woods I 
wander. 

Though unseen my Friend is ever near 

Speaking tender words on which I pon- 
der : 

Words of warning, words of loving 
cheer, ” 

Ole had a fine, clear voice, and he sang 
with a sureness that surprised, and with 
a feeling that gripped the heart of his 
hearers. Here and there among the older 
children tears were hastily wiped from 
brimming eyes. The teacher scarcely 
104 


SINGING-OLE 


knew what she should say, and the whole 
school stared with unfeigned admiration 
at the new pupil. But Ole was entirely 
unconscious of the interest he had aroused. 

For Ole to sing was to escape from him- 
self and his surroundings, and to be 
wafted, as it were, on bright, fleecy clouds 
up into the deep blue sky. 

Ole sang several verses of the song and 
then sat down. In his heart he thought 
that it was even more fun to go to school, 
now that he had been permitted to sing. 

''You are surely a fine singer. Ole the 
teacher exclaimed. "I will see to it that 
you learn a number of other pretty songs 
while here at school.’’ 

This promise filled Ole’s cup of happi- 
ness to overflowing. Singing was even 
greater fun than going to school; it made 
his heart so light and gay. 

That day all the school children went 
home and had much to tell about Ole and 
his wonderful singing; and the mamas 
and papas, who had been present on the 
105 


DAWN 


opening day of school, also made Ole's 
singing a topic of conversation for days to 
come. From that day the lad came to be 
generally called Singing-Ole. 

* H« * 

When Ole reached the humble home of 
his mother that evening, he, of course, had 
much to tell her. School was great fun, 
the teacher was fine, and all the children 
were kind and pleasant. 

‘'And do you know, mother," he cried; 
“they let me sing ; and that was the great- 
est fun of all! And then the teacher 
promised to teach me a whole lot of new 
songs! Wasn't that kind of her?" 

“Why certainly, that was very kind!" 
the mother replied. “It makes me happy 
to know that my boy will now be learning 
many good and useful things." 

Ole sat eating his simple meal, but his 
mind was evidently busy with something 
else; for when he had finished, he ap- 
proached his mother at the spinning wheel 
with these words : 


106 


SINGING-OLE 


‘‘Tell me, mother, why it is such fun to 
sing, and why everything grows lighter 
and brighter when you sing?'’ 

Ole's mother stopped her wheel and 
seemed to ponder the question. She it 
was who had taught her son to sing, and 
as for herself, she had sung her way 
through many trials and difficulties. For 
a while the sudden death of her husband 
had seemed to blot out all happiness from 
her life; but then she had begun to sing 
again, and gradually her heart again grew 
lighter. But why was this so ? What 
satisfactory answer could she give to her 
boy's question? 

At last she laid her hand caressingly on 
Ole's head and said : “It must be this way, 
my boy. When we sing with all our heart, 
we lay open our- very soul to God, and he 
comes to be very near and dear to us. Then 
our heart is filled with gladness, and be- 
cause we are glad, all things about us grow 
light and bright. Keep on singing, my 
boy! Sing out your sorrow, and it will 
107 


DAWN 


leave you free ; sing in your gladness, and 
it will abide with you.’’ 

Outside the cottage window the pines 
were soughing a low and pleasing har- 
mony; from the distant forest the birds 
were striking up their evening carols — 
to Ole all this seemed so wonderful and 
festive ! He thought of the coming school 
days that lay as a bright, sunny path be- 
fore him, full of song and gladness. 

Ole proved himself a bright and capable 
scholar. He was always attentive, and 
never at a loss for an answer, however 
difficult the questions might be. But he 
was always at his best when he sang. He 
was quick to catch a melody after he had 
heard it once, and his voice grew steadily 
clearer and finer by practice. 

No one but his mother knew, and per- 
haps she not fully, what his singing meant 
to Ole. He himself did not understand 
that he was singing his way deeper and 
deeper into a wonder world full of light 
108 


SINGING-OLE 


and harmony. He only knew that song 
was in his heart and that it was as nec- 
essary for him to sing as to breathe. 

. Nor did Ole stop to reflect over the cir- 
cumstance that by his singing he was be- 
ing lured away from all that was base and 
evil in life. It became second nature for 
him to do his work well in school and to 
lend his mother a helpful hand at home. 
Nothing less than that could satisfy one 
whose heart was full of gladness and song. 

But in this world no one is so far re- 
moved from the dark and evil things of 
life that they do not sooner or later come 
to tempt him or to do him injury. 

There were many children at school 
who would gladly have had Ole's gift of 
song, and among them Peter, the justice's 
son, was at heart envious of Singing-Ole. 

''Look, boys !" Peter shouted one day at 
the noon recess ; "look at Singing-Ole and 
his clumsy wooden shoes!" 

All the boys laughed. There was no 
one but Ole who wore sabots. And when 
109 


DAWN 


the boys noticed that Ole grew red in the 
face, they laughed all the louder. This 
only served to make Ole the more em- 
barrassed. Peter's courage waxed stronger 
at the support given him by the other boys. 

‘'Sing a tune for us, Sabot-Ole!" Peter 
cried. But for the first time in his school 
life Ole had no song to sing. 

A brooding darkness filled his heart. He 
wanted to beat Peter with his fists, but 
something within him restrained him. But 
angry he was toward Peter, so angry that 
he could think of nothing else during reci- 
tations, and therefore everything went 
wrong for him. Instead of song and glad- 
ness, his heart was full of wicked thoughts ; 
and when he came home to his mother, she 
could not at all recognize her boy. 

“Mother, Mother!" he sobbed, “never, 
never will I put on my sabots again ! All 
the boys laughed at me today, and Peter 
called me Sabot-Ole." 

His mother was thoroughly dismayed. 
Never had her boy spoken so to her be- 
110 


SINGING-OLE 


fore ! And worst of all, she had no word 
of cheer to give him. 

‘‘Dear, kind Mother!'' he pleaded, 
“please buy me a pair of shoes." 

“But I have no money, my son," she 
answered sadly. 

Then a perfect flood of words burst 
from Ole's lips, cross and peevish words 
that were new and strange in the humble 
cottage where happiness and contentment 
hitherto had reigned. 

“But why shall all the other boys have 
shoes, some of them several pairs, while I 
have none? Why shall we always be with- 
out money? Why do the other children 
have sandwiches and wheat biscuits, when 
I have nothing but black bread ? O 
Mother, tell me why it must be so !" 

The mother's face blanched, but this 
Ole did not observe; nor did he see the 
tears that welled into her eyes, nor the 
lines of pain that marked her countenance. 
Ole could see nothing but the poverty 
which he had so suddenly discovered. No 
111 


DAWN 


word could the mother find to cheer her 
boy; silence was her only refuge. When 
silence grew oppressive, she began softly 
to hum a melody, chiefly for the purpose 
of warding off any more tragic “why's” 
from her son. 

But as she hummed, the melody grew 
stronger and clearer, and at last the words 
burst from her lips, full-toned and sweetly 
pathetic : 

“0, for the home eternal; in that far 
supernal 

Land, where angel voices blend with 
Golden harps their sweet accord! 

O, that free from sin and anguish. 

Ne'er to suffer, ne'er to languish. 

In realms of light and glory 
I might see my King, my Lord I” 

At first Ole grew impatient when his 
mother began to hum her melody. He still 
had many “why's” that he wished to have 
answered; but he dared not interrupt 
when mother was singing. However, when 
Ole perceived that his mother was singing 
112 


SINGING-OLE 


her favorite song, strange, warring emo- 
tions filled his heart. Both melody and 
words laid hold on him, and as she sang, 
he forgot all his “why’s'^ and felt an im- 
pulse to join in the song. But to his dis- 
may, he found it impossible to do so. Some 
obstruction came into his throat when he 
attempted to sing of '‘realms of light and 
glory.’’ It was quite out of the question 
for him to sing now ! 

But as she sang, the mother’s sorrow 
lifted and her heart grew light again. She 
began the second verse, and her voice was 
stronger, fuller than before: 

“0, for the home eternal ! Morning star 
supernal 

In the East so brightly glowing. 

Dost thou bring me joyous word 
That the blissful morn is breaking. 

All my hopes and yearnings waking? 
More ardent grows my longing 
To behold my King, my Lord !” 

So the mother sang and grew happy; 
but Ole, who ordinarily was so eager to 
sing, seemed to forget that he was seven 
113 


DAWN 


years old, and a big man; for he crept as 
a little child into his mother’s lap and cried 
as if his heart should break. The tears he 
now shed were not at the thought of his 
wooden shoes or the laughter of his school- 
mates — that was past and forgotten. The 
cause of all his woe now was that he could 
no longer sing. Silence and emptiness 
reigned in his heart. 

The mother, too, had ceased to sing and 
was sitting with her arms about her boy. 

'‘Mother, Mother,” sobbed Ole, “I can 
never sing again !” 

“Why not, my boy?” the mother asked. 

“I can’t, I can’t!” sobbed Ole, plunged 
into the very depths of despair. He had 
been snatched away from all that was 
bright and happy in life, and he felt that 
he could never regain what he had lost. 

“Don’t you remember, my boy, what 
your mother told you the first day of 
school? Don’t you recall why it is such 
great fun to sing?” 

“Because God looks into our hearts 
114 


SINGING-OLE 


when we sing/' Ole replied after a mo- 
ment's reflection. 

‘‘Yes, that's it! Your mother told you 
that when you sing you open your heart 
to God and ask Him to enter in, and that 
is what makes you so happy. But today 
my little boy can't sing. He is afraid to 
let God look into his heart. I wonder why 
that is?" 

Ole pondered a while in silence. Then 
he replied in a tone that was hard and 
bitter, and not at all to his mother's lik- 
ing: “Peter called me Sabot-Ole!" 

But even as he uttered the words, he 
knew that they sprung from a heart full 
of bitterness and enmity. This thought 
almost took his breath away. With strange- 
ly altered tone he cried : “0, Mother, your 
Ole has been a bad, bad boy !" 

All his wicked thoughts, all his im- 
patient words stood vividly before him. 
How should he dare to sing, who had har- 
bored only evil thoughts ever since the 
noon recess, and had even wanted to give 
Peter a good beating? 

115 


DAWN 


Poor Singing-Ole ! He felt that the spirit 
of song was dead within him. Nevermore, 
he feared, would he be able to sing as be- 
fore ! 

All this while Ole's mother was con- 
scious of how he suffered, and in loving 
sympathy she suffered with her boy. 

“Yes, my boy has been naughty," she 
said, “but when he confesses his fault 
mother is ready to forgive him." 

These words somewhat eased the bur- 
den weighing Ole down, but they did not 
entirely remove it. 

Seeing that Ole was still troubled, the 
mother continued: “My boy, mother for- 
gives you because she dearly loves her 
boy. But you know that you sinned 
against One who is far greater than 
mother, and who loves you more than she 

can do. Seek His forgiveness also." 

❖ * ❖ 

When Ole returned to school next day, 
he was as light-hearted as if no burden 
had ever weighed him down. The woods 
116 


SINGING-OLE 


were fragrant, the birds were singing, 
and the deep blue sky had never been more 
beautiful. The wooden shoes were on his 
feet, and he had not found it difficult to 
put them on. And Ole, who yesterday 
thought that he would never be able to 
sing again, now raised his voice in song 
until the woods re-echoed with its melody. 
And the song he sang was, ‘‘When Christ- 
mas morn is breaking’^ not because the 
holy season was at hand, but because there 
was Christmas in his heart and a festive 
spirit seemed to be abroad. 

Next he sang, “Our land, our land, our 
native land'', until the very birds seemed 
to hush and grow attentive. All nature 
stood in festive garb, inspiring him to 
sing. 

At the crossroads in the heart of the 
forest he met Peter and a number of other 
boys. They now were quite a company 
of merry lads wending their way to school. 
Ole was glad that he had come upon them, 
and he was also the first to speak. 

117 


DAWN 


"‘Hello, Peter!'’ he shouted; “it was 
really foolish of me to get angry yester- 
day.” 

It was now Peter’s turn to blush. He 
said never a word, thereby proving that 
he felt ashamed of himself. The other boys 
seemed to have forgotten yesterday’s un- 
pleasantness and now made friendly over- 
tures to Ole. They thought him a fine fel- 
low and a good comrade in spite of his 
wooden shoes. 


* * * 

Years rolled by, and Ole’s mother now 
sat alone in her cottage in the woods; but 
she still sang, and peace and happiness 
reigned in her heart. As singing had in 
former times dissipated her sadness, so it 
now helped to cheer her in her hours of 
loneliness. 

One fine day as she was sitting alone in 
her cottage, she heard quick steps ap- 
proaching along the path outside, and then 
a fine, manly voice burst forth in a ju- 
118 


SINGING-OLE 


bilant college song, voicing the very spirit 
of youth and happiness. 

Ole’s mother turned pale. Her heart 
was surcharged with happiness until she 
felt that she could bear no more. 

‘‘Well, here you have your boy again. 
Mother!” cried Ole cheerily, returning 
now to his old home after having grad- 
uated from college. Singing-Ole of the 
wooden shoes was now Singing-Ole of the 
white cap of the Swedish college graduate. 

“0, that you have reached your goal at 
last!” exclaimed his mother, who could 
scarcely believe in her own happiness and 
that of her boy. 

“Yes, Mother, it may almost be said 
that I have won my white cap by singing,” 
he answered, swinging his cap about his 
head. “You know that it was my singing 
that helped me in the village school and 
here at home; and it was by song that I 
won the favor of the old lord of the manor 
and his assistance through college. Mother, 
I know now that there are power and 
blessings in the gift of song.” 

119 


DAWN 


‘'That I have always known/' replied 
the mother softly. 

“But isn't it too bad, Mother, that so 
few realize its blessings? I wish that you 
could tell to all the world what you told 
me as a little boy, that when we sing with 
all our heart, we lay open our very soul 
to God. Because they are ignorant of this, 
there are so few who sing their way 
through life to success and happines." 

sis * Hs 

Singing-Ole became a great man and, 
what is more, a good man. Throughout 
his life it could be said of him that he sang 
his way through joy and sorrow. And men 
listened to his song and wondered at it. 
His singing had a wonderful power to grip 
men's souls and to lift them up to higher 
planes of noble endeavor. They felt its 
power, though they knew not fully whence 
it came. 


120 


VI 


AT THE COUNTRY FAIR 


B ENRY and Johnny and little May 
were promised a trip to the country 
fair in the fall. The promise was 
given a month or two in advance, in order 
that the children might have a merry holi- 
day to look forward to ; and combined with 
the promise was a pledge that they would 
each be given a piece of money to spend, 
the amount to be determined by their obe- 
dience and attention to duty in the mean- 
time. Henry and Johnny and little May 
were very helpful to their parents as a 
matter of course, but during the time just 
before the fair they were very, very help- 
ful, and very obedient indeed. 

In the evenings, when the boys were 
through watering and feeding* the stock, 
and little May had helped her mother clear 
the table, the three children would sit in 
a close group on the porch steps and talk 
about the fair. Up to this time they had 
123 




DAWN 


never been given a trip to town, and not 
having handled any money of their own, 
except a penny or two now and then, they 
all had very crude notions about the value 
of money and what it would bring. 

Each one naturally expected a big round 
shining silver crown for their pains at 
being good and industrious, and what 
couldn’t one buy for such an amount of 
money, they imagined. 

“I’m going to buy myself a pony, so I 
can ride horseback to school next winter,” 
said Henry, who was fond of sport. 

Johnny was of a more frugal turn of 
mind. 

“I’d much rather get a good milch cow. 
Then I can make lots of money selling 
milk and cream and butter, — yum,” and 
his mouth watered at the thought. 

Little May listened intently to the plans 
of her two brothers, but her heart was set 
on something very different. Last spring 
her pet pussy had run away, giving her 
much grief and concern, and she had made 
124 


AT THE COUNTRY FAIR 


up her mind to get another pet just like it 
the first chance she had. Of course they 
sold lots and lots of cats at the country 
fair, that went without saying, so she’d 
just buy a nice little kitten for her money. 

'‘What are you going to get, May?” 
asked Henry. 

But her brothers had often tormented 
her little pet and teased her for being so 
fond of “nothing but a cat,” so she would 
not tell them one word about her plan. 

“There’ll be a lot of things to choose 
from,” said Henry, who had had one year 
in school and knew a lot more than the 
other two. The older children in school 
had been telling him all about the things 
there were to see at the fair. Now it was 
his turn to tell. 

“There’s booths and shops for half a 
mile or more, with all kinds of toys and 
candy and everything,” he went on. “And 
then there’s tents with shows and circuses. 
In one tent they have a giant taller’n our 
church.” 


125 


DAWN 


May shuddered. ‘‘But they keep him 
chained, don't they?" she hoped. 

‘‘Naw, he's tame, you might know," 
Henry explained, then went on: “Then 
there's dwarfs that ride little horses not 
mor'n that high (he held his hand about 
a foot from the ground), and a captive 
brownie, and the little old woman that 
lived in a shoe, and — oh, lots of things." 

Thus the three children had their curi- 
osity aroused almost to the breaking point. 

“Oh, I just can't wait," little May re- 
peated time and again. 

“But let me tell you one thing," — and 
Henry put on an air of much worldly wis- 
dom, — “look out for pickpockets, and 
don't show your money, 'cause there's a 
lot of them sneaking around. If they get 
your money, it's done for, and you got 
nothing to buy for." 

Well, Johnny was going to keep his 
money tight in his fist and his fist in the 
pocket all the time, and May would tie hers 
in the corner of her handkerchief where 
126 


AT THE COUNTRY FAIR 


no one would see it or even suspect that it 
was there. Thus the whole gang of thieves 
and pickpockets would be outwitted. 

The long expected day came at last. 
Papa hitched the horses to the buggy, he 
and mama took the front seat and the 
children piled in behind, with little May 
safely wedged in between her older broth- 
ers. The horses were fat and sleek and 
freshly curried. The brass mountings on 
the best set of harness had been carefully 
polished the day before and now gleamed 
brightly in the morning sun. The buggy, 
newly washed, shone like a mirror. It 
was hard to say what shone the brightest 
on that autumn morning. After all, may- 
be it was the faces of the three youngsters 
in the back seat, — still ruddy from a brisk 
rubbing with soap and water, radiant with 
smiles, and flushed with the excitement of 
it all. 

Before starting, they had each got their 
reward of merit — not a crown, but a half- 
crown apiece, and the coins looked mighty 
big at that. 


127 


DAWN 


Arriving at the fair, mama and May at 
once made for the booths while papa and 
the boys after putting the horses in a stall 
went straight to the live-stock market. 

While father was bargaining for some 
farm animals, the two boys thought they 
would do a little business on their own 
account. Henry soon had his eye on a fine 
little pony just the size for a boy of eight. 

“How much for that?^' he inquired of 
the man near by and pointed a business- 
like finger at the animal. 

“A hundred crowns and he's yours, my 
boy," said the owner, looking doubtfully at 
the would-be buyer. 

Henry's crest fell. 

“A hundred crowns!" he repeated to 
Johnny with a soft whistle. And he with 
his half-crown in his pocket! He was all 
the more taken aback for having already 
fancied himself galloping proudly past all 
the other boys as they trudged along to 
school on foot. 

Just then a couple of schoolboys came 
128 


AT THE COUNTRY FAIR 


along, and Henry went with them, while 
Johnny stayed with his father. The boys 
rambled on till they came to a big merry- 
go-round with a ring of circus animals 
gamboling around to shrill music. Here 
Henry had a chance to pick his horse 
for a great deal less money. He paid his 
fare and climbed into the saddle of a dap- 
pled horse with proudly curved neck and 
gaudily painted bridle and trappings. A 
great crowd of people stood around the 
carrousel, as the merry-go-round was 
called, and the boys took two or three 
turns together. That was enough for the 
other boys, but Henry kept spurring his 
steed around the circle and paying for it 
as often as demanded. This was great fun 
such as he had never known before. 

Suddenly he found that his last penny 
was gone. He clambered down with an 
aching heart, an empty pocket, and a dizzy 
head. 

Meanwhile Johnny and his father were 
doing business at the cattle market. 

129 


DAWN 


'There's the cow I want to buy," said 
Johnny pointing to a stall. '*You tell the 
man, papa." 

“Where's your money?" said his father 
laughing. 

“Right here," spoke Johnny, proudly 
showing his half-crown. 

Then the owner laughed too, and so did 
Uncle George who was also doing the fair. 

“No, my boy, that won't buy as much as 
a cow's tail, at the present price of cattle," 
his father joked. “Save your coin and add 
others to it, and when you are old enough 
to take care of a cow you will have the 
price of one," was his advice. 

This was cold comfort for the boy. His 
face fell, and tears almost came into his 
eyes. At this point the boy was very much 
in need of a friend, and Uncle George came 
to the rescue. 

“Here, my lad, take this and save it for 
a yoke of oxen," he said, with a gentle 
slap of the hand over Johnny's cap. That 
helped, and Johnny was himself again. 

130 


AT THE COUNTRY FAIR 


May followed her mother around on a 
tour of the booths and shops that was one 
round of excitement and interest at first, 
but grew weary as the day wore on. There 
were a thousand and one things for sale, 
and her mother priced most of them, but 
never a kitten could May discover in the 
whole stock in trade of a hundred or more 
shops. 

Presently she saw a man sitting on a 
box holding out a tin cup in his left hand. 

‘‘Why does he do that, mama?’’ 

“He’s blind, poor man, and wants people 
to put some money into his cup,” her 
mother explained. 

May felt very much depressed. She had 
never seen a blind person, and when hear- 
ing of people who cannot see she would 
keep her eyes tightly closed as long as she 
could in order to know how it felt to be 
blind. This painful process had paved the 
way for a deep sympathy for those who 
could never have the joy of seeing the blue 
sky and the green earth with all its fiow- 
131 


DAWN 


ers, and all the beautiful things in the 
world. 

Just then two boys passed by and 
dropped some pebbles into the blind man's 
tin cup. Thinking it was money he doffed 
his cap and politely bowed his thanks. The 
boys laughed at their own smart pranks, 
but this cut little May's heart sorely, and 
before the man had time to empty the cup 
she ran over and dropped her half-crown 
piece into it. Then she hurried after her 
mother who had walked on ahead. 

^ ^ 

When the family were gathered around 
the supper table that memorable day of 
the children’s first trip to the fair father 
wanted to know how they had spent their 
money. “I know that Johnny didn’t spend 
his at all,” he said, adding, ‘‘he is saving 
up to buy a cow; and Uncle George gave 
him a crown towards the price of a yoke 
of oxen. That was well done of you, John- 
ny, not to squander your money. Your 
pennies will grow into pounds some day. 

132 


AT THE COUNTRY FAIR 


Now, Henry, what have you got to show 
for your money ?’^ 

‘T — I had thought of buying a pony, 
but — 

^‘Well, what did you buy?’^ 

There was no way out, so Henry had to 
tell of the big merry-go-round, and what 
great fun it was to ride that dapple gray 
horse, since the pony was not to be thought 
of for that money. 

'‘Of course you had a right to use the 
money as you pleased,” said his father, 
“but let this be a lesson for the future, and 
your half-crown will not be wasted. Some 
have begun like you, by spending a small 
sum for pleasure, and ended by squander- 
ing everything, their home, their wealth, 
their time, their life and soul, on pleasure 
alone.” 

As Henry listened to his father's advice 
he could not help thinking that he had got 
very little fun out of his holiday after all. 

“How about you. May?” interposed the 
mother. “I didn’t see you buy anything.” 

133 


DAWN 


The little girl grew red in the face, but 
sat silent while they all looked questions 
at her. 

'‘Maybe you saved your money too,” 
mama suggested. 

May shook her head and looked stub- 
bornly down into her plate. 

“She spent hers for candy, Fm sure,” 
said Johnny. 

“Can’t you tell us what you did with it?” 
urged Henry. 

But May would not tell. It was too hard 
for her to lay her tender heart open to 
them all. 

After supper she followed her mother 
into the kitchen, pressed her face into her 
lap and broke out in sobs. 

“My dear child, what is it?” asked mama 
tenderly. 

“That blind man, — I gave it all to him,” 
she confessed as if guilty of some great 
wrong. 

“How kind of you, dear heart!” And 
when the mother took her little girl up 
134 


AT THE COUNTRY FAIR 


into her lap and kissed her tenderly all 
regrets and doubts were instantly swept 
from the child's mind. That night little 
May went to sleep with a prayer on her 
lips for the poor blind man. 

No one will ever know how it came 
about, but next morning there was the cun- 
ningest little kitten on the doorstep mew- 
ing loudly for admittance. To little May, 
however, it was all very clear. ' 


135 


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